The ripple effects of the US-Iran conflict have begun to surface in Kolkata, leading to a crisis in the supply of LPG and CNG across both commercial establishments and households.
On March 10, the Centre instructed that the supply of all non-domestic, non-exempted commercial LPG cylinders be suspended indefinitely.
India imports half of its 195 million standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) of gas consumption. The country was getting about 60 mmscmd of gas from the Middle East prior to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and force majeure by Qatar.
This means chaos for restaurants and bakeries in Kolkata, even though, on March 6, the government had invoked sparingly used emergency powers to direct oil refineries to ramp up LPG production to increase the availability of domestic cooking gas to avoid potential disruptions due to the widening West Asia conflict.
The impact is set to disrupt not only customers, but also commercial bakeries, hotels and footpath stalls. Those in the small-scale food business are in danger of losing their livelihood.
Bijan Bihari Biswas, from the LPG Distributors Association, says he has been facing backlash. “The government is trying to form a committee to distribute commercial LPG. Petrol, diesel, and CNG have also been rationed. It is impossible to stop everything at once. That would mean lakhs of people losing their livelihood and earnings overnight. No one has that kind of ration with them, and this emergency has to be addressed right away,” said Biswas.
Gas cylinders await distribution, in Kolkata Amit Datta
Restaurant owners say the industry is uncertain about how the situation will unfold.
Abhimanyu Maheswari, heading the National Restaurant Association of India from Kolkata, said it’s a wait-and-watch scenario.
“We have sent a letter to the government pointing out we are an essential service. We should be given a priority in this dire crisis. Informal communication, and formal communications have been going on between us and the restaurant owners. But this comes down to what the government does next, and what decision is taken,” said Maheswari.
Eatery owners across Kolkata have also expressed concerns over the shortage.
Haji Md Enam, owner of New Aliah Hotel, is worried about the sudden change in circumstances. “We’re seeing this crisis after a long time. I don’t remember when we last faced this LPG shortage. We have a little ration, but that’s it. It might run for a few days,” said Enam.
Surajit Saha runs a restaurant named Spicy in Belgharia. “We’ll stop when the gas runs out. I already buy commercial LPG cylinders for Rs 2,300. I have two left. We have already stopped making food items that take a lot of gas. If the government does not give us a subsidy, we’ll have to stop production immediately,” said Saha.
Auto rickshaws queue up for gas at a fuel station at Gachtala Soumyajit Dey
Domestic gas supply is no better.
Jhuma Barai, a resident of Birati, booked an LPG cylinder early on Tuesday morning. The booking confirmation was sent to her, but no message of delivery date or confirmation of an available cylinder was received.
Dealers say the demand has surged even as supply has thinned out.
R Sharma HP Gas and Co, in Ballygunge, has expressed how the demand is high right now for LPG cylinders, while the supply remains low. “The price has already been hiked by Rs 60, still the demand has not come down.”
Bharat Gas in Tangra said if a second cylinder is needed and the first cylinder is on the way to being empty, the consumer has to buy commercial gas at a higher cost.
In Behala, gas vendors say even black market gas is not available even if the consumer offers double the price.
A gas vendor in Baranagar said, “If a consumer or a vendor is found selling cylinders in the black market, both the parties will be banned from buying cylinders indefinitely.”
Residents have already begun considering alternatives.
Susmita Dutta, a resident of Mullick Bazar, said households are preparing for a possible price surge. “In case the prices of cylinders hike exorbitantly, we are relying on induction which again will consume a lot of electricity further increasing the bill during summers.”
An auto driver pushes his vehicle to a station Soumyajit Dey
The disruption is not limited to LPG supply.
Auto rickshaw driver Ratan Das drives his vehicle on the Dakshineswar-Bally route. “I have to wait for three hours daily now for a refill. I am losing passengers because the line now stretches almost two kilometres to fill up the tank. Most gas stations have stopped their services, thus one station is refilling almost 300 autos,” said Das.
The average wait time for an autorickshaw has increased from five minutes to 45 minutes at Belgharia. The disruption has affected commuting timelines, forcing daily passengers to leave earlier to reach offices and schools on time.